Whether it is the creation of specific choreography, movement and normalizing the acceptance of women lighting up the dance floor, these women have become ideals that are shaped by and consequently also shape society's continuing debates about sexuality and female identity. Here are four women who work seriously in the entertainment industry but also know how to have a little fun with grace!
Srha Asghar
Srha Asghar has been making waves with her YouTube channel – Danceography Srha X Rabya – which she runs jointly with her friend Rabya Kulsoom Rehan. She claims that her channel’s brand is distinguished by the fact that they primarily dance to Pakistani songs and showcase contemporary choreography to domestic filmy tunes and pop songs, which makes their dance even more up-close and personal. Srha and Rabya also received their big break as ensemble dance choreographers in the web series Meray Dost Meray Yaar that was directed by Mehreen Jabbar. Srha curates all the dance costumes herself and is inclined to tutor youngsters interested in dance as well. We hope she continues to dance her way to success.
Faryal Mehmood
Faryal Mehmood claims that it has been tough for her to carve a niche as a dancer. Apart from being an outstanding actor, she feels that Instagram doesn’t exist for her until she wants to post a dance video of herself. Although Faryal doesn’t adhere to a particular form of dance, she made headlines when seen dancing at Mehwish Hayat’s brother’s wedding. Faryal also showcased some beautiful choreography on Abdullah Siddiqui’s song ‘Kids’. Faryal makes special cinematic efforts to film her dances and often posts candid videos of simple dance performances amidst backdrops like her home’s balcony. We just think she’s a gorgeous actor and a dancer and we hope to see her light up the stage some more! – Faryal Mehmood portrait by Abdullah Haris
Mehar Bano
Mehar Bano dances like “everyone’s watching” and we just love her fearless moves! Mehar has also defied all prejudices and has started her own Tik Tok channel at meherbano47 where she posts short dance videos and we know she is having fun because it reflects in her performance as well. She recently did a short collaborative work out dance video with choreographer Ramiz Law, which she prepped in just 15 minutes and showcased virtually with him at Mad(y) Dans Studio. We think she grooves with glam!
Sohai Ali Abro
Immensely talented, Sohai has been the talk of the town since she started featuring in Vasay Chaudhry-Nadeem Baig’s talk show Ghabrana Mana Hai with exclusive new avatars in every episode. However, when it comes to dance Sohai is a trained dancer and can sparkle on stage and off with her dance moves. Her dance sequences in her songs in films like Wrong No. and JPNA and even her performances at award shows have been lauded for their beauty and elegance. We hope to see more of this Motorcycle Girl in new twirling dance avatars soon!
–Afreen is a creative writer and a Digital Media professional with special interests in Film,
TV and Pop Culture. She can be reached at writing.likhaai@gmail.com